L.

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*

No. 272. Friday, January 11, 1712.
Steele.

[—­Longa est injuria, longae Ambages

Virg.[1]]

Mr. SPECTATOR,

The Occasion of this Letter is of so great
Importance, and the Circumstances of it such, that
I know you will but think it just to insert it,
in Preference of all other Matters that can present
themselves to your Consideration. I need not,
after I have said this, tell you that I am in Love.
The Circumstances of my Passion I shall let you
understand as well as a disordered Mind will admit.
That cursed Pickthank Mrs. Jane! Alas, I
am railing at one to you by her Name as familiarly
as if you were acquainted with her as well as my self:
But I will tell you all, as fast as the alternate Interruptions
of Love and Anger will give me Leave. There
is a most agreeable young Woman in the World whom
I am passionately in Love with, and from whom I
have for some space of Time received as great Marks
of Favour as were fit for her to give, or me to
desire. The successful Progress of the Affair
of all others the most essential towards a Man’s
Happiness, gave a new Life and Spirit not only to
my Behaviour and Discourse, but also a certain Grace
to all my Actions in the Commerce of Life in all Things
tho never so remote from Love. You know the predominant
Passion spreads its self thro all a Man’s Transactions,
and exalts or depresses [him [2]] according to the
Nature of such Passion. But alas, I have not
yet begun my Story, and what is making Sentences and
Observations when a Man is pleading for his Life?
To begin then: This Lady has corresponded with
me under the Names of Love, she my Belinda,
I her Cleanthes. Tho I am thus well got
into the Account of my Affair, I cannot keep in
the Thread of it so much as to give you the Character
of Mrs. Jane, whom I will not hide under a borrowed
Name; but let you know that this Creature has been
since I knew her very handsome, (tho I will not
allow her even she has been for the future)
and during the Time of her Bloom and Beauty was so
great a Tyrant to her Lovers, so over-valued her
self and under-rated all her Pretenders, that they
have deserted her to a Man; and she knows no Comfort
but that common one to all in her Condition, the Pleasure
of interrupting the Amours of others. It is
impossible but you must have seen several of these
Volunteers in Malice, who pass their whole Time in
the most labourous Way of Life in getting Intelligence,
running from Place to Place with new Whispers, without
reaping any other Benefit but the Hopes of making
others as unhappy as themselves. Mrs. Jane
happened to be at a Place where I, with many others
well acquainted with my Passion for Belinda,